A while back I read several different threads about the horror stories from members trying to get Year Of Make plates registered to your car. I was very nervous about facing the red tape and didn't want a hassle just to get my 1927 Touring plates.
Thanks to the several very informative threads on plates, where to look up the state laws reguarding YOM plates, and what you should take with you when you go to the license bureau it only took me 15 minutes and $33.00 later and I'm walking out the door with my plates. The young lady behind the counter couldn't have been more helpful. She stated that this was the oldest car she ever registered. I told her I'll be back next month and you can register my 1922 Coupe.
Wow! piece of cake!
That was better than a piece of cake Dennis. A piece of cake will eventually go away, even if you don't eat it.
I have a nice set of '51 plates for my '51 pickup but there is a truck in the San Jose area with the same license number so I can not use my plates.... yet.
They told me at the DMV to buy the truck from the guy and junk it or sell it in another state.. Then I could register my '51 plates.
I don't know if I'll ever be able to re-register my original 27 Texas plates, In Texas, they give you a small metal tag which must be attached to the YOM plates and a sticker placed on the tag. The problem is early Texas plates used only numbers, usually six numbers, and no letters. Presently the only vehicles in Texas using six numbers are exempt plates for school buses. The last time I tried to re-register them, the number came back to a school district in far west Texas and I was denied.
In Maine we are far away from the roaring crowd. We simply register our car, get the modern Maine antique car plates and stickers, put the stickers on the modern plates, put the plates in a manila envelope under the seat or someplace else, put the YOM plates we have on the car and drive away. I also cary a photocopy of the Maine law that allows YOM plates on antiques incase the inquisitive police officer does not know.
Bill, the photocopy of the law is a good idea. I was once stopped by a highway patrol officer for having YOM plates and he was on his radio for about twenty minutes while somebody taught him the law.
In California exempt plates have gone to 7 numbers with the word Exempt above. The YOM law in California allows all number plates that are active on exempt vehicles. I have a 7 number YOM on my 27 Tudor.
....or you could just put your YOM plates on and keep the registered antique tags with you under your seat. That's what I do.
In Jersey, a lot of us have YOM plates. We're not supposed to run them, as they are not authorized. I have a matched set I purchased for 10 bucks at Englishtown Swap Meet 10 years ago.
Although I haven't been driving my T in Jersey that long, I've never seen a cop pull an antique car for any reason. Even when I had both a VT tag and NJ tag on the car at the same time. Mostly they pull up beside you, ask how old it is, and how fast does it go.
I received a dun from a Fort Worth court last month for an unpaid parking ticket. There were many threats as what they would do if this was not paid. The license number had the same 6 digit number on the YOM plates on my '28 open pickup. The make/model vehicle was Freightliner. It turned out that this was an out of state plate. I'm surprised that some states are still issuing 6 digit numeric plates.
WillIam,
I was thinking that would be the most common occurrence.
Darin